Tobacco-stemming machine.



No. 888,885. I PATENTED MM 26, 1908.

J. 0. MORRIS. TOBACCO ST'EMMING MACHINE.

Swwcntoz No. 888,835. PATENTED MAY 26,1908.

J. 0. MORRISK TOBACCO STBMMING MACHINE.

PPLIOATION FILED N 190 A 0V 7 e SHEETS-SHEET 24 nu/wan, lo-u PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

J. 0 MORRIS. TOBACCO STBMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.5, 1907.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

awemtoz atbozmug n a al lmlul lii lililhlul l l lniuli PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. J. O. MORRIS.

TOBAGGO S-TEMMING MACHINE. APPLICATION 21mm NOV. 5, 1907.

s SHEETSL-SHEET 4;

Suveutoz 4 am I.

PATENTEDIMIAY 26, 1908.

J 0. MORRIS. TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1907.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

we in zoom No. 888,835. 7 PATENTED MAY 26,1908.

J. O. MORRIS.

TOBACCO STBMMING MACHINE. APPLIOATION EILED NOV.5,1907.

6 SHEETs-$HEET 6.

civwentoz s iongitndinn.

iii iiiiiiiifi JOHN O. MORRIS, OF WASI-IING'LON, DESTRRYT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHERN STEM- MING MACHINE AND MANCFA RING (".OTvIPANY, OF GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, A CORPO- RATION OF OKLAHOMA.

TQEACCO-STEMMING ZJZACHHIE no. ssssss.

Specification of TLei'sters yatent.

Patented May 26, 190$.

To all 10710112. 1' i may coma-r72. I 7

Be it known that 1, JOHN (J. ivionms, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Ooiuini iis, iui-vo invontcd certain new and useful iniprovenionts in Tobacco-Stsnnning iiizmhines, of which tho i'oiiowin is i specification, orcncc being had therein to the occo spa-nying Ara-wing.

This invention rcini'cs to improvenionts in toi'mcco stcnnning nniciiines, tho oiwjcot of which is to mechanics-Hy strip the binds poritions oi the loaf iiOiD tho stein in an X])O(ii'" Lions and oflicient nnim'icr.

In. the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a perspective viow oi a inocimnism ornbodyin g; one form oi my present invention. Fig. l, is a to) plan View oif l. r Fig. 3,

i, vertical, sectional view oi" the receiving end. oi the stripping devices, when they are in their stripping positions. Fig. 4, is an enlarged, sectional View of the forward end of the stripping cieincnitis, shown in the ionfireci-miviiig positions, and having the leafcarrier (entering beimvson. them. '3, is a sectional, pcrspcctive View of the stripping novices, showing the loaf and its carrier in its position at the beginning of tho stripping action. Fig. 6, is a. simiior visw, but. shows the carrier drawing; iiio loaf through the surippars, and the ion-i being; stripped 'i'rom i s stern. Fig. 7, ii vertical, iongitniiinai, control, sections viow of the receiving ends oi the stripping L cviccs. Fig. 7", is a detached perspective View of the. positioning device, iimking from tho outer side. similar view, looking towards the inner side of tho positioning device. Fig. 2), a side. elevation showing: one form of D'Wifiiil-KliSil'i for ini 'inrting to the stripping (it-vices an in- Fig. i.0,1S

tsrinittonit. cisarsnco movement. a transvcrsc, sections-i shown in'Fig. i.

i "in sari in out my invention, i: employ a. stripping devicowvhich is composed Ofii pinrsiity oi cioseiy arranged. stripping booth, anti. 0. lcni -cari'ior'which the. stern draws the. n in and 'Lirongh the tooth wiiiie. they in simtionar stripping position.

iow oi the machine A suitnbio iiramoworiq i, hos stits inlet and Fig. 8, is

r sos the butt of 1 i i i i l i i i i i i i pin-cc after tho stripping action.

oiiOSQ iootiji nro sh a. triivoiing feeding belt The ieavcs are carried forward in. this form of the machine, by the Sflii'i. iicit Lo inc point a (Fig. 3). At this point Coo butt ends of the leaves are grasped. by tho travoiing corriors (I. b and car Tied. strippersdznnlaand ontorbetwecn them when ne i the strippers (hero shown to no tho one. 5) so from the ofihar, shown in F When tiiecnrricrs reach about the. point shown inFi 5, the stripper is DmVQii ioiis closed. or st-rinoing position shown in Figs. 3, 5 and iiie carrier is moving; aii ":iic niiiio ---11 Li. onriiss she stern f 1 n'ongii no iQQi-il oi I116 strippoi's, sm'i. the ring or ficxibie icotii slip the binds poriions g from. the stoin, which doubles up in front of the srippors snbstnntiniiy as iiiusrated at 2., Fig. (i. The stripping occurs wiiiio the stripping tcci'n are iioid. in a sint-ionnry stripping position, and against any ciisctivo strippin 'z INQVQPJCJM? in a direction approaching or crossing i iic stripping poih.

'io prevent the stripped issf portions 7i bcin carried into the strippers by the succeedin gripper, and dostroycd, it, is necessary shit the stripped bimis portions be removedirom in front of the stripper before the foilowing grippers reach the cntrsncspoint to the strippers. This may be nccompiished in many ways. in Fig. i it is acconipiislied by importing to tho stripping cionients a. cienring nioveinci'itin :1 direction opposite to tiic inovcnicni of tho to be stripped, but. this H'KUVQH'ROIZY is no\. sufficient to oii'ect ivoiy take part in the stripping notion. in. Fig. ii no shipping; devices are given 1mini--ililiiiilrfiiistrippi mo'minont, which takes Both of t'ness movements sis scooinpiisiicd by xizechsnisins iicreinsitsi. (inscribed.

ii'rlpy'ring clei of my improved .ciiins, ii re siiown'in'o is or yieic Q tOQiil 213.- .rnngod on on. upper ooh; Wnicii passes around the roiier its icoi rccoivin and, and. roiicr on its outlet and, and n iowor belt. 7 which the roiisrs and 9. These bolts sro with the ciossiyi in Lnngsii stripping to 1nd 5. in Fig. 4, roximoeiy fnii observed. shot sized, and from wi iii) .ii .e stripping devices the operation of the machine, that they lift' the front end of the stripper d when a carline with the said pat they are ion spring teeth. By reference to Flg. 5 it Wll be seen that the teeth on the upper belt project across and beyond the path of travel of .the leaf stem f, while the teethin the lower belt roiect up about on a and interlock with the upper teeth and serve to brace each other y engagement, as shown in Fig. 7.

The shaft of the roller 5 is journaled in slotted standards 10, so that it may move up and down, and springs 11 serve to hold the roller down in the stri ping position shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. t is moved up to the receiving position (Fig. 4) by means of the cams 12, to let the carriers pass andthese camsare so shaped, arranged and timed in rier'reaches it, (Fig. 4) and dropdt suddenly when the carrier reaches the position shown in Fig. 5. This position is preferably. about in a vertical line with the axis of the roller 5. hen thefront end of the stripper drops,

- the spring and yielding teeth strike the rounded upper surface of the carrier, and

the teeth are rejected to both sides thereof, as shown in ig. 5. When the butt end of the stem is long the teeth at the front side of the carrier will project in front of the blades of the leaf, but when the butt is short, or there is practically no projeetingbutt end,

the dropping of the teeth causes them to ment of the strippers to the receiving ends.

where they are removed by the upper and lower combs 14 and 15. These ear portions and the strip ed blade portions are blown from the mac line by a blast of air through the blower 3, and deposited below the mach -1e.

The stripping belts or surfaces are widened out as shown, and the grippers are elongated to extend across them, which enables the grippers and the strippers to simultaneously strip several leaves. The carriers or grippers a, b are arranged. on two upper traveling sprocket chains 16, which pass around the upper sprocket wheels 17 and upon the two lower traveling chains which pass around the lower sprocket wheels- 19. The members a of the carrier are attached to the upper chain 16 and the lower members 5 are attached to the lower chain 18, and they are arranged to meet about under the center of the wheels 17 to grip the butt ends of the. stems. A stem-positioning device20 is arranged at the gripping point, and against which the butt ends of the stems strike, and

are held to be gripped and the stripping devices.

7 .The positioning device here shown consists of a separate device for each leaf sage 21. These devices consist of depen in members 22 capable of swinging inward and upward together to-permit the carriers to pass by them, but which have an independ-' ent return or rearwardmovement, and they are held in a vertical stern-positioning position by means of suitable springs 23. having independently returnable ppsitioning devices, those devices which are not permitting the passageof a leaf will immediately return after the passage of the carrier and'be in a position to catch any leaf that is passing forward to it.

A main shaft 24 is provided with pulleys A chain 26 passes.

carried tl' rough;

connects the shaft 34 with the driving shaft- 24, so that the shaft 34 is driven much slower than the driving shaft, and the shaft 34 is belted or otherwise operatively connected with the rollers 5 and 80f the stripping belts for driving the latter. As here shown, a straight belt 35 and a cross-belt 36 serve to connect the shaft 34 and the rollers 5 and 8. This construction imparts to the strippers the slow leaf-clearing movement previously mentioned.

As shown in Fig. 1 he blower 3 extends acr' ss the receiving ei of the strippers, and it will be connected with any suitable device (not shown) for furnishing an air blast or a draft thereto. Preferably, in a machine of large capacity, (such as here shown) the stripping belts or members are preferably divided into two parallel portions A and B, to ena lo the positioning of a center gripperclosing slideway C for the center of the carrier to prevent a separation of the jaws a and 6' thereof, and to enable the jaws to be made of thinner and lighter material, and still insure the gripping and holding of'the butts of the'sterns. A chain 40 connects the cam shaft-41 with the shaft 42 of the lower carrier chain 18, and a chain 43 connects this latter shaft with the shaft 44 of the feed belt In. Fig. 2, I show means for acting upon the blade portions at the butt ends of the stems for subjecting the butt 'ends to an initial stripping operation. As here shown this device consists of two toothed rotating cdspted to s, ratchet 61 on the assess members 56 which are geared together by gears i, and driven by a belt 52 passing around a. pulley 53. Preferably, the toothed rolls have the lower one arranged somewhat in edvsncc of the upper one.

In operation, the person teedingthe machine will takeabuuch of the leaves and. push the butt ends of the bunch between these rollers and. hold the bunch in his lumd. The rapid rotating rolls instantly act upon the blades and butt ends oi" the stems, and any rcmsining blade portions will be removed by the elongated. stripping surfaces of the'strippcr, as previously described. The operator places the lesves to be str pped in a seierzrtcd position, either upon the table 54 (Big. 2) or upon the ieodcubolt (Fig. 1).. When placed on the table thr mitt ends of the stems are pushed against the positioning device to be in position. to be grasped by the carriers.

in Fig. 9 I show one form of means by which the stripping teeth may be given so intermittent clearance movement occurring after the stripp action is efiected. This 01111 consists in providing the mechanism with e wrist-@1155 adapted to e lingel '56 upon a. pitman or rod 57. The opposite end of this rod 5 is pivotslly connected. with on intermediately pivoted lever 58 which has pivoted to opposite ends the ratchet bars 59 and 6.0. The ratchet bar 59 upper roll of the stripping device, and the bar 60 to engage s ratchet 62 on the lower roll 8 of the stripping evices. Suitable springs 63 and 64 respectively the ratchet hers 59 and 60 and serve to hold them in engagement with the ratchet Wheels 61 and 62 when they are actuated in direction, to rotate said. wheels; but will permit the bars to ride overti e rstchots when they moved in the opposite direction. A spring 65 serves to hold the rod 57 in proper posi. tion to have the 55 orig s it, lo operation, the pin 55 orig to "r gor 56 and draws the her 5! untuthe out of the path or the linger, when t" mg (35 will drs the parts to the positionshown ms 9. A suitable buffer of rubber or other suitable Ellilllflilul such as 66, is used to stop the par s when th: are drawn back by the spring 65.

The

nt of movement given to the ports rib-ed can be regulated in any suitsuch for instance, as e ther melting or (iii adjustable here shown, or

adjust-able upon the ing the linger oh The teri'n stat r l. 15, is srmhccb rectivc or actl stripping position reistiw into or out ol' the strinpm .rlevmg thus doscrlced I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In av tobacco stemmer, the combination With stripping elements comprising closely assembled stripping teeth, and a leaf holder, of means imparting a relative movement to said elements to strip the blade from the stem of the leaf While the effective teeth. are substantially held against a movement in a direction approaching the plane of the relew the stripping movement of said elements.

2. In a tobacco stemmer, the combination with stripping elements comprising a plurclity of laterally-yielding stripping teeth, and a leaf holder, of means imparting a relative movement to said elements to strip the blade from the stem of the leaf while the effective teeth are substantially held against a movement in a direction approaching the plane of the relative stripping movement of said elements.

3. The combination in o toba-cco stemmer having at stripping path, of stripping elements comprising a leaf holder, a plurality of closely arrcnged stripping teeth extending across said stripping path, and means i1nporting s relative movement to said elements in a directiontrunsverse said teeth to strip the blades from the stem of the leaf while the teeth are substantially held against a, movement approaching the plane of the relative stripping movement of said ele meuts.

4. In a tobacco stemmer, the combination of stripping elements comprising a. plurality of closely-arranged stripping teeth, a leaf holder, and means imparting toscid elements at relative stripping movement longitudinal the leaf at a speed requisite to strip the blade of the leaf from the stem, the effective teeth being held from movement in a direction transverse the lost during said stripping movement.

In tobacco stemmer, the combination of plurality oi closelyerranged laterallyyielding effective stripping teeth maintained relatively stetiimory to any movement in a direction across the stripping path at the stripping point; leaf holder, and means i1nporting to said elements e relative stripping movement at the stripping point in sfdirection transverse said teeth.

In it tobacco stemmer, the combination of stripping elements comprising a plurality of closely essembled stripping teeth, aleaf h older, and means importing to ssidrelements c relstive'stripping movement to strip the blade from the stem of the lea fvrhile the ef- :l l-tive teeth held against a movement in :1. direction approaching the pie-IE of relative movement of said cents, and means for inilpcrting a clearance action to said teeth.

ln tobacco stem nor, the combination of stripping olemeiits comprising a plurality 'lea holder, and means imparting to said elements a relative stripping movement longitudinal the leaf to be stripped.

9. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of'a plurality of closely-arranged stripping teeth having a stationary stripping position, means for moving a leaf to and against the teeth to be stripped thereby, and means engaging and moving the stripped leaf portions away from the stripping teeth for the purpose described.

10. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of a plurality of closely-arranged stripping teeth held in a stationary stripping position during the stripping action, and means imarting to the teeth a succeeding stripped eaf clearance action.

11. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of a plurality of closely-arranged yielding stripping teeth, means for moving a leaf butt foremost in a stripping path, means holding the stripping teeth first in a position out of the stripping path, and then to a stationary stripping position across the stri' ping path immediately back of the butt 611C of the leaf stem.

12. In a tobacco stemmer, a stripping device comprisin a plurality of closely-arranged stripping teet held in a stationary stripping osition extending in a direction across and eyond the stripping path during the stripping operation, and a plurality of coacting teeth held stationary durin the stripping operation and extending in t 1e opposlte direction and having their extremities about in a line With the stripping path.

13. In a tobacco stemmer, the combination of a plurality of closely-arranged strippirgg teeth held in a stationary strilpping positlon across the leaf path, said p urality of teeth occu yin a space elongated relative to the path of the eaf and acting to first remove the main leaf portions from the stem, and then to remove any remaining ear portions from the stern. i

14. The combination in a tobacco steini mer, of a strip ing device comprising a belt extending ara lel to the leaf path, and having a plura ity of laterally-extending closelyarranged stripping teeth, held in a stationary position across the leaf path, and means for carrying a stem ehdw1se therethrough for first stripping the main portibns of the leaf belts locate path, the belts having oppositely-extending from the stem and afterwards removing any remaining portions of the leaf therefrom.

15. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of a stri ping device com rising arallel (l at opposite sir es of t e leaf teeth, the belts and their teeth held in a stationary stripping position, and means for carrying a leaf in a direction between said belts and subjecting it to the stripping action of the said stationary teeth.

16. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of a belt having a plurality ofcloselyarranged strippin teeth which extend in a direction across t e path of the leaf to be stripped and held during the strippin action in a stationary strip ing position, an means for imparting to the sit a succeeding stripped leaf clearance action for the purpose described.

17. The combination in a tobacco stemmer, of two separated stripping devices extending longitudinal the stripplng path and arranged side .by side, a leaf gripper extending transverse the machine and spanning both of said stripping devices, and an elongated gripper sup ort extending longitudinally between said stripping surfaces.

18. In a tobacco stemmer, thecombination of a plurality of stripping teeth held in a stationary stripping position during the strippin action, means for carrying the leaf butt enc foremost. against the teeth and the stem portion between the teeth, and means for imparting to the stripping teeth a clearing movement after the stripping action.

19. In a tobacco stemmer, the combination of a plurality of closely-arrangedyielding stripping teeth held in a stationary stripping position during the stri pin operation, means for subjecting the lea to t e action of the stripping teeth While they are stationary, and means for impartinga clearing movement to the stripping teeth after the stripping action.

20. In a tobacco stemmer, the combina tion of a plurality of stripping teeth held in a stationary stripping position, during the stripping operation, means for subjecting the leaf to the action of the stripping teeth While theyare in the stripping position, and an intermittently-operatin mechanism constructed to impart to t e strip ing teetha leaf-clearing movement after t operation.

21. In a tobacco sternmer, the combinae stripping tion with a plurality of stripping teeth held,

in a stationary stripping position d'uring'the strippingoperation, anda leaf carrier, of means for preliminarily str' ping the stem leaf butt portions from the utt end-'of the stem in advance of the stripping operation.

22. In a tobacco stemmer, the combination of a plurality of closely-arranged stripping teeth held in a stationary strippingposition during the stripping actlon, a device in advance of the stu ping teeth adapted to position the butt on sof the stem, and a leaf carrier adapted to grasp the butt ends ofthe stems and carry them etween the stripping teeth While the latter are in their stationary stripping position. v

23. In a. tobacco stefrnrner, -the combination of two parallelly arranged stripping surfaces composed of closely-arrange oppositely-extending stripping teeth, the inlet portions of the stripping surfaces being curved in opposite directions, the teeth being held ina stationary stripping position during 15 the stripping action, and means for carrying the leaves butt end foremost to the cilrve portions of the stripping surfaces.

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of. two Witnesses.

JOHN O. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, A. S. PATTISON. 

